Going MIA
by amykay
Summary: Flint goes on a personal vendetta against Cobra


I need to give a lot of 'shout outs' in this story. First and foremost goes to Nicole, who helped get this idea rolling in one of our many late night chats. She's also read through the various drafts of this piece and helped me with lots of constructive criticisms to get it in the final form. Thanks also to Jenn (the Bard) for also taking a look at the early draft and giving some more constructive criticism and suggestions that helped shaped this.

The teasers over at Devils Due about the upcoming death inspired this story. This version of Flint is also inspired by Jenn's (Slayne) dark Flint story she put out for the fanfic bootcamp. The title comes from a Foo Fighters' songs.

I don't own any of the Joes or Cobras, they are property of Hasbro and Devils Due. This is based on the Union of the Snake arc, up to comic #40. Not all of the details are exact, but I have referenced some events from that arc.

Flint crouched down lower into the grass. He could see one of his targets, leaning against a tree, smoking a cigarette. The man turned when a second man came on the scene. The second one made a comment and the two burst into laughter.

_Yeah, laugh it up assholes. Because in about fifteen seconds you'll be dead_. Flint thought as he reviewed his plan of attack. He would have liked to be closer to the targets before he made his move. He estimated the two men were about ten yards away. However, they didn't look like they were going to make his life easier by coming towards him so he decided it was time.

He stood up and quickly fired off a shot to Target One's head. Target Two screamed out, but Flint silenced him with his second shot. However, the man's screams alerted other men in the area. _Shit!_ Flint thought as he dove for cover. _Where the hell did they come from?_ he asked himself while firing off a third shot to take down a third man.

He took a quick peek from behind the tree he was using for cover and saw there appeared to be two more men. He stepped out from behind the tree and fired off two shots. The first shot grazed one man in the neck, causing him to drop to the ground screaming in pain. The second shot was true, killing the fifth man instantly. Flint walked over to the one remaining man who was clutching at his neck.

He pointed the gun at the man's forehead, "Was it you?" he asked calmly.

"Wh..What?" the man asked.

"Never mind. I know none of you are smart enough to pilot a plane. How about this question? Where's Zartan?" Flint asked.

"Za…Zartan?" the man replied.

Flint released the safety of his gun. The man jerked at the sound of the click. "Do you have a fucking stuttering problem or are you just trying to piss me off even more? Yes, Zartan. Your fearless leader. I'm looking for him and his dysfunctional family. Their names are next on my list."

"I…I…don't" the man began but Flint silenced him with his last bullet. "Forget it. I've lost all patience with you." He looked down again at the man. Torch. He walked around to the other bodies. The first man he killed was Buzzer, followed by Ripper. Monkeywrench and Thrasher were the other two laying on the ground. Added to the other two Dreadnoks he took out a couple of hours ago, and the three nameless Cobra troopers he first encountered on this journey of his, he was up to ten kills.

He had gotten careless though. The three Dreadnoks had taken him by surprise. If he planned on taking down the high-ranking members of Cobra, he couldn't make that mistake again. That slip could be blamed on his exhaustion. He knew he needed to rest. He had been on this vengeance mission of his for over twenty-four hours, and he was tired. However the down times had become unbearable for him. Whenever his mind wasn't focused on the next step of this mission, it turned towards darker thoughts. Thoughts and emotions he couldn't deal with at the moment.

He patted down each dead Dreadnok looking for supplies. They had nothing of use to him except for a box of donuts and a couple of sodas. His stomach growled and he realized that sleep wasn't the only thing he was depriving his body.

Sighing, he picked up the food and drink and sat on the ground. He devoured the first two donuts, and felt his energy level rise slightly. He finished off the can of soda. He was so tired. Taking a look around the area he decided it was safe for the time being. He lay down on the ground intending to take a short rest.

He was instantly asleep. He dreamt he was back at the Pit. No, that wasn't right. The Pit had been destroyed. He was at the army base they were using as a temporary HQ. The latest battle with Cobra had just ended. Amazingly, in the Joes favor. The odds had been stacked high against them. The Jugglers had cut the team to twelve, and they were taking orders from a General they didn't quite trust. General Rey, though, came through in the clutch and they beat Cobra once again.

While the battle was over, the Joes work wasn't done. General Rey wanted the post-mission paperwork finished sooner, rather than later. It was yet another way he was different from General Hawk. Hawk always let the paperwork slide. He knew his Joes worked hard, and he always tried to give them downtime after a battle or mission. General Rey had promised the downtime, but only after all the work was done.

Flint was working with Lady Jaye getting the latest intelligence numbers squared away. Or at least trying to work with her. The two were alone in one of the huts that had been transformed into a high-tech information center. Lady Jaye was sitting in front of one of the computers, typing in her set of notes. Flint sat off to the side, watching her closely.

"This would get done a lot quicker if you did something constructive." She replied without missing a keystroke.

"I am doing something constructive. I'm mapping out in my head which part of your uniform I'm going to rip off first." He replied with a grin.

Lady Jaye stopped typing and turned to him with a reproachful look. It lasted only a few moments before she too broke out in a grin. "Dash, you are unbelievable. How is it possible after all these years you are still the same horny bastard?"

He leaned closer to her. "I can't help it. You make me crazy with lust. Plus, how long has it been? Eight, nine days?"

"Twelve. But who's counting?" she replied. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He kissed her eagerly in return. His hand wandered to her breast and she pulled away. "Stop" she scolded him with a laugh. "We have work to do."

He groaned. "I can't concentrate on it. Al, I need you." To emphasize his point, he ran his hand up her thigh.

She moaned in response. "I know. I want you too. But not like this. General Rey is going to come walking in here at any minute demanding this report. I doubt he'll be very happy if he finds us going at it like two love-starved teenagers. Let's get this report done, then we can get out of here and finally have a night alone."

He groaned and kissed her. He wanted to ignore everything she just said. He didn't care about the general or his duty. He just wanted to be with her. However, sensibility overran his emotions and he reluctantly pulled away. "Fine. I think I can control myself for a little bit longer."

She smiled at him and then turned back to the screen. Flint pulled his chair closer to her so he could see what she was typing. They spent the next few minutes devoting their full attention to the report.

Once she was finished, she printed out the report. Flint stood up and walked the few feet to the printer. He grabbed the sheets of paper and began to read through them. Lady Jaye stood up and stretched. She walked over to his side. "Do you think it's acceptable?" she asked as she ran her hand up and down his back.

"Looks good to me," he replied. "I'll walk it over to the General, and maybe we can get out of here."

"Sounds good. I just need to get a couple more things done, but I should be finished by the time you get back." She started to walk back to the computer but he grabbed her and pulled her close. "Do I need to scold you again?" she asked while suppressing a grin.

"Nope, I just need one more kiss for the road," he answered before kissing her.

He made good on his promise, and he pulled away before too long. He left the hut and jogged over to the communications room where he last saw General Rey. He hoped that the meeting with the General wouldn't take too long.

Flint walked into the communications center and found General Rey at a table with Stalker and Gung-Ho. "I have the intelligence documentation, sir," Flint reported.

He handed the paperwork to the general. "Good work. I was just getting ready to…" The General's sentence was cut off by the base alarm.

The four men reacted quickly and were outside in a matter of seconds. Flint saw a single Cobra jet flying low over the base. He realized in horror that it was going to fire upon the base. In slow motion he watched as the jet released its missiles. One hit the electronics shack, which instantly exploded into flames.

Flint let out a scream as he ran towards the building. A few feet from the flames, he stopped for a moment, trying to determine the best way to enter. Shipwreck materialized at his side. The sailor was telling him to wait for help, but Flint was not listening. Lady Jaye was still in there. He had to get her out. He tried to move again, but realized that Shipwreck was holding him back. Without a second thought, Flint turned on Shipwreck and punched him squarely in the jaw. He achieved the effect he wanted. Shipwreck released his grip and Flint was able to enter the burning building.

At first he couldn't see anything. The smoke was so thick and his eyes began to water. The heat from the flames was so intense. He dropped to the ground and began to crawl around. _Where is she?_

Flint heard his name being called. It wasn't Lady Jaye's voice, but Lifeline's. Lifeline had entered the burning building too. Flint could vaguely hear the medic telling him he needed to get out. But he was not leaving. Not until he found her.

A few moments later he did. She was lying on the ground, with rubble from the collapsed ceiling on top of her. He hurried to her side and removed the larger chunks. Lifeline had reached him. "Help her!" Flint pleaded with the medic.

Lifeline nodded. "I will, but we have to get her outside."

Flint picked Lady Jaye up and they raced outside. Once they had gotten clear of the flames, Flint laid her down gently on the ground, while Lifeline went to work.

Flint watched blankly. He was dimly aware of a crowd gathering around. He focused on Lifeline's hands, knowing they would give him the first indication. After a few moments the hands stopped their efforts. Lifeline looked at him and by the tears in the medic's eyes Flint knew his worst nightmare had just come true.

He couldn't say good-bye like this. Flint turned and pushed through the crowd. He needed to get out of the area as quickly as possible. He struggled to comprehend the news. _This is not happening. I was just joking around with her. We had plans for tonight._

As he thought about those plans, a deep sadness washed over him. _I'm never going to see her again. I'll never wake up next to her, go to bed with her, make love to her ever again._

With the last thought, the sadness vanished and was replaced with intense anger. _Those bastards are not going to get away with this. I will make them pay._

"Flint!" Lifeline called to him, but Flint kept walking. He didn't want to talk to anybody. He had a mission to plan for.

Lifeline was persistent and soon caught up to him. "Flint, wait. Stop for a minute."

Flint turned and looked at the medic. He saw the pain written all over Lifeline's face. "I can't do it, Lifeline. Not now. Give me some time."

Lifeline put a hand on Flint's shoulder, but Flint jerked away. Lifeline gave him a look of pity that Flint was sure he was going to see a lot of in the coming days. "I know you need time to grieve, that's understandable. But I need to look you over. You're hurt."

Flint was momentarily confused. He didn't know what Lifeline was referring to until he felt the sharp pains on his arms. He looked down and was shocked to see he had burns on both arms.

Flint woke with a jerk. _Oh thank God. It was only a dream_. He expected to find himself in his bed with Alison at his side, but as his vision focused he realized he was still in the woods. Reality came crashing down on him. It was not a dream, but a memory. Alison was dead.

He was hit with an overwhelming feeling of sorrow. His chest tightened and he was unable to breathe. He fell forward on to his hands and knees. She was gone. He was never going to see her again. _How the hell am I going to live without her?_

After a few moments the feeling of complete despair dissipated. He tried to remember how many of these panic attacks he had in the last day and a half. Once it was gone he was left with the anger that had begun the moment Lifeline pronounced Lady Jaye dead.

He slowly stood up. It was time to move on. He started to lift his pack, but the pain in his arms made him drop it. He noticed that one of the bandages was completely soaked through. Before he could continue his mission, he would have to tend to his wounds.

His mind flashed back to the infirmary two nights ago, when Lifeline first tended his burns. The pain was intense, almost unbearable. However, Flint refused to cry out or give any indication of the discomfort he was in. He was having a hard enough time keeping control of his emotions, and he was afraid the slightest weakening on his part would unleash a torrent. Lifeline touched a particular sore spot and despite all of his efforts Flint let out a groan.

Lifeline stopped what he was doing and looked at Flint. "Is the pain really bad?"

_Which one are you referring to? The one in my arms, or the one in my heart?_ Flint wanted to say. Instead he just responded with a simple "Yes."

Lifeline walked over to one of the medicine cabinets. He scanned through the numerous bottles before settling on one. He opened it while he walked back to Flint and shook a couple of pills into his hand. "Take these," he ordered Flint "These are a little stronger than what I usually give out. There probably going to put you to sleep, which I think is a good thing for you now."

Flint looked at the pills in his hand. He didn't want to take them because he wanted to get started on his mission. Lifeline touched another sore spot on his arm that sent pain shooting through his body again. He decided to take the pills. He needed a brief respite from the pain he was feeling. He made a mental note to get his hands on the bottle. He was going to need these pills in the future.

Lifeline finished up his work a few minutes later. The drugs had started to kick in, and Flint was feeling groggy. Lifeline helped him into one of the cots where he fell into a merciful sleep.

He woke up some time later. Lifeline was in the room and he turned when Flint rustled. "Good. I'm glad you woke up. I need to change your bandages."

Flint braced himself for the pain, but it wasn't as intense this time. At least the physical pain wasn't. The emotional one seemed to be getting worse. He pushed the pain to the side. Right now he wanted some answers.

"Lifeline, what happened out there?" Flint asked.

"You mean the attack?" Lifeline asked, and Flint nodded. "We're not sure if it was supposed to be a Kamikaze attack, or just a cowardly attempt at revenge. There was only a single plane. Nobody picked up the plane until it was too late. It hit the electronics hut, and the barracks next to it."

"Did we get it?" Flint asked.

Lifeline shook his head. "No. By the time they scrambled the aircrafts, it disappeared."

Flint was about to ask who was piloting the plane, but was interrupted by the arrival of General Rey. "Flint, I'm glad to see you are awake. How are you doing?" The question should have been one of concern, but the general's voice held no emotion.

Again Flint wondered if the question was geared towards his emotional or physical state. He based his answer on his physical state. "My arms hurt like hell, but I'll be all right."

"Good. We're going to be moving on shortly. I think we wore out our welcome here. We were lucky, though. There could have been more casualties if anyone had been in the barracks at the time of the attack." General Rey responded.

The anger that had been festering inside Flint was threatening to blow. _Lucky? I just lost my whole world, and he considers that lucky?_

Lifeline stepped in to diffuse the situation. "General Rey, sir, this isn't a good time. Flint still needs some time to rest."

"Of course. Take the rest of the night off." General Rey turned to leave but then stopped. He turned back around and faced Flint again. "One more thing. Someone needs to contact her family. I…"

Flint interrupted him. "I'm her family," he replied with venom. "I will make the calls."

General Rey seemed oblivious to Flint's anger. "Very well." He then mercifully left the infirmary.

Lifeline gave Flint the same look of pity as he did earlier. "Does he not know about you and Alison?"

"No, he knows." Flint replied. "He just doesn't care."

Flint didn't dwell on General Rey's insensitivity. Instead his mind started to focus on other matters. When Lifeline was finished he asked if Flint needed another dosage and Flint declined. As much as the pills had been a welcome relief a few hours ago, he didn't want to take them again. A plan of action had started to form in his mind. He needed to have his mind sharp now, and not dulled by medication.

When Lifeline finished his work, he slowly put away the bandages. Flint could tell the medic wanted to talk to him. It was a conversation he didn't want to have and he hoped that Lifeline would lose his nerve. Lifeline grabbed the doctor's chair and rolled it over so he could sit next to Flint's cot. "I can only imagine the amount of pain you're in now." Lifeline began. Flint tried to roll to his side. Maybe Lifeline would get the hint and stop this discussion. However, the pain in his arms prevented him from completely turning his back to the doctor, so he settled for turning his head away.

"We're all here for you." Lifeline continued. "It may seem like little consolation, but you do still have your friends. I am always here if you need to talk." Flint heard the squeak of Lifeline's chair as the doctor stood up. "Physically, you should be fine. You can leave if you want, or you can stay a while longer. Whatever you are more comfortable with." Flint heard the sounds of Lifeline's footsteps and then the door opened and closed.

Flint closed his eyes. He wiped away the tears that had started to fall. He appreciated Lifeline's efforts, but the only person he wanted to talk to was lying on a slab somewhere. That thought caused him to sit up. _Where was she now?_ He thought he should start to work on the funeral arrangements but the idea made him nauseous. No. He couldn't take care of that now. Even the idea of going to the funeral made him weak. He had his first panic attack after that thought. After the episode was over, he made his decision. He was leaving. He was going to hunt down the bastards that did this. He would not be able to go to her funeral, but he was fine with that. He was going to honor her death in his own way.

He jumped up off the cot. He had made a mental list of all the supplies he would need. He started in the infirmary. He grabbed the rolls of bandages and gauze that Lifeline left for him. He grabbed a bottle of Ibuprofen. He also grabbed the bottle of painkillers he had taken earlier, in case they became necessary.

He walked to the door just as someone knocked on it. He opened it to find Duke standing there. Duke had the same pained expression as Lifeline. "Dash, I'm so sorry."

Flint ignored his condolences. "When did you get back from Iceland?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Duke replied. "I know how hard this is on you. Are you holding up okay?"

Flint knew that Duke was only trying to reach out to him. However, that fact didn't quell the anger he had. "You know how I feel? How the fuck do you know how I feel? My wife was killed. The woman I have loved for the last eight years of my life is now dead. Don't even try to tell my you know how I feel." Flint pushed past his friend.

"Flint, wait. Where are you going?" Duke asked.

"Lifeline discharged me, said I'm okay to leave. Therefore I have things I need to do. Tell General Rey that I'm taking leave effective immediately. I don't know when I'll be back." Flint paused a moment. He tried to calm down. "Conrad, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure. Anything," Duke answered.

"Can you call her parents? I told Rey I was going to do it, but I…I can't," Flint answered softly.

"I understand. I'll take care of everything," Duke replied. "Where are you going?" He repeated his earlier question.

"I don't know," Flint answered honestly. While he knew what he wanted to do, he wasn't sure how to go about it yet. "I just need some time to work through this."

Duke nodded. "Take as much time as you need."

An hour later Flint was loading up one of the jeeps. He had packed as light as possible, only taking the minimum amount of firepower and ammunition necessary. He had spent quite a bit of time going over maps and rereading the latest intelligence reports. Most of the reports were lost in the fire, but the command center still had what he needed. He wanted to find the bastard that was in the plane that killed her. After a long debate, he had decided to take on the Dreadnoks first. More than likely they were not involved. However, he needed to start somewhere, and he had reliable information as to the whereabouts of their hangout. If Flint could get to Zartan, he might be able to get the information he needed out of the bastard. If not, he would still be satisfied with wiping out the biker gang before moving on. They were responsible for the deaths at the Michigan facility, so they had sins to atone for. He would also get some satisfaction knowing he took out the group that had put a hurt on Lady Jaye a couple of weeks ago. She had been too proud to admit it, but he knew she had suffered a pretty good beating at the hands of the Dreadnoks. Also, the Dreadnoks were responsible for freeing Cobra Commander, who started this latest battle when he used the Tempest device against the United States. So even if the Dreadnoks didn't have their finger on the button that sent Lady Jaye to her death, they were still indirectly responsible.

He had a brief thought that by that logic, he could also blame himself for her death. When she returned from Michigan, he could see that she was hurt. Lifeline said that she had suffered a slight concussion during the attack and he wanted her to be removed from active duty. Lady Jaye had refused. She said the team needed her. The team was down to thirteen members and couldn't afford to lose one. While he personally would have liked to see her resting, professionally he couldn't allow it. He agreed with her and helped make her case to General Rey, who ordered her back to active duty.

If he had fought against her, and listened to Lifeline, Lady Jaye would be alive right now. _I could have sent her home, and none of this would have happened._

The night before the Dreadnoks attacked the Michigan compound, she had called him. She was upset at the time. The Cobra Commander case was getting to her. Plus she hated having to spend another night apart from him. He tried his best to calm her down. He told her that at the moment their commitment to others came before their commitment to each other. He then told her that their time was coming. As he thought back to the conversation, the tears he had kept mostly at bay began again. _God damn it!_ _All she wanted was to be with me, and I promised her that we would get our time together soon._

He sat in the jeep and allowed the tears to fall. Once he got control of himself again, he wiped away the tears and started the jeep. No more tears. He had a mission to focus on now.

Back in the present, Flint finished wrapping the last of the bandages. He had noticed that one area below his elbow looked particularly bad. He was almost certain it was infected. He really didn't care, though. He wasn't planning on living through this mission.

As he returned the bandages to his sack, he saw the painkillers he had taken from the Infirmary As he picked up the bottle he thought_ I could take these and end it now. Enough of these pills should kill me. Or I could just take a couple, and wait for Cobra to find me and put me out of my misery._

He slammed the bottle back in the bag. He would be damned to let Cobra take another defenseless Joe's life. Not cowardly like this. If he went down it would be in a blaze of glory. He would die knowing that he took as many of these bastards as possible to hell with him. He would die knowing that in a small way he had avenged her death.

_I love you Alison. I'm so sorry for everything. I hope that by doing this, I prevent others from going through the pain I'm feeling now._ With that final thought, he picked up his sack and continued on to his next target.


End file.
